On March 6, 2016 parishioners attended a Parish Pilgrimage of Mercy— walking together through the Holy Doors of St. James Cathedral in Seattle, Washington.
Prayer, Fellowship and Trivia
On the bus, departing from the parking lot of Saint Patrick Catholic Church for the Holy Doors, 45 parishioners prayed the Glorious Mysteries of the Holy Rosary and played a trivia game earning prizes like a Pope themed calendar, Pope Francis holy cards, and a cross from Jerusalem for correct answers.
Questions included, “St. James Cathedral and Saint Patrick Catholic Church have an art piece in common. What is it?” and “One Bishop is buried at St. James Cathedral. Who is it?” Check out the complete list of questions here and see if you can find the answers, (yes— you can use your smart phone!)
The Word Mercy
Another question from the trivia challenge was, ” How many times does the word MERCY appear in the bible?”
God’s mercy is a monumental theme in Scripture, the English word appearing some 341 times in the Bible. The four Hebrew and three Greek words associated with this term appear a total of 454 times and are also translated as “kindness,” “loving kindness,” “goodness,” “favor,” “compassion,” and “pity.” Of the sixty-six books of the Bible, only sixteen do not use one of these words for mercy. Even though “mercy” is an important concept, it is somewhat difficult to prescribe a definition, especially since “grace” is occasionally closely coupled with it.excerpt from God’s Everlasting Mercy by Henry M. Morris III, D.Min., Evidence for Creation (Morris III, H. 2007. God’s Everlasting Mercy. Acts & Facts. 36 (11): 4.)
The Holy Doors
The group listened to a description of Holy Doors read by Deacon Bill Eckert and walked through the bronze doors of St. James Cathedral— designated as Holy Doors for the Archdiocese. The walk through the Holy Doors was followed by a tour of St. James Cathedral. The day ended with Vespers, during which Saint Patrick Catholic Church was prayed for during the intentions.
The evening also included Exposition, Lenten Vespers and Benediction. There was time for personal prayer in the Cathedral or an opportunity to participate in a self-guided Way of Mercy through the Cathedral, beginning at the Doors of Mercy and continuing with prayer stations at important places throughout the Cathedral for 15-20 minutes before the return trip to Tacoma.
Father Ryan— A Familiar Face
The Pastor of 
St. James Cathedral, Father Michael Ryan, was greeted with many hugs from our Saint Patrick Catholic Church parishioners who remember him fondly. Father Ryan served in pastoral roles at St. Patrick Parish between 1966 and 1977.
Reflecting on a Day of Reflection
On the bus ride back to Tacoma, snacks courtesy of a parishioner were enjoyed. The group talked about the experience of walking through the Holy Door and together they prayed the Pope’s Prayer of Mercy led by Pastoral Assistant for Faith Formation, Kim Ward, organizer of the event.
Embracing Mercy
Before disembarking the bus upon arrival in Tacoma, the 45 pilgrims were invited to consider taking one action step to more fully embrace God’s mercy in their life.
